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What is the Big Deal About Having a Roadworthy Car?

Motorists should not only make sure their cars are roadworthy for their own safety and for the safety other motorists, but also because their insurance policy may not pay out if they are involved in an accident.

Motorists should not only make sure their cars are roadworthy for their own safety and for the safety other motorists, but also because their insurance policy may not pay out if they are involved in an accident.

v class=”kInstance-Summary” style=”padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px; overflow: hidden; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13.3333339691162px;”> Motorists should not only make sure their cars are roadworthy for their own safety and for the safety other motorists, but also because their insurance policy may not pay out if they are involved in an accident.

Motorists may often hear about vehicle roadworthy tips and driving safety in general during the holiday season, especially over the festive season. However, these are every-day issues, when people commute to work on a daily basis.

Due to years of driving on our roads, complacent drivers may often think that the carnage on our roads is a mere inconvenience, such as missing a meeting or just the nuisance of being stuck in traffic for hours on end. However, road safety should be taken seriously because a road accident poses a serious threat to anyone who uses our roads.

DIY Advice

Many motorists may feel that they cannot afford to keep their cars in a roadworthy condition. Proper vehicle maintenance may not be as expensive as is commonly perceived by motorists. Arrive Alive, together with AutoZone, has provided, via arrivealive.co.za, useful downloadable resources to keep cars roadworthy. Motorists should remember that vehicle maintenance should always be carried out by qualified mechanics or technicians. Car owners should not use poor quality parts, which do not meet their vehicle manufacturers’ specifications.

Roadworthy Statistics

The Road Traffic Management Corporation disclosed that approximately three-quarters of vehicles were not roadworthy in South Africa. Such non-roadworthy vehicles may have cracked mirrors, worn-out tyres, and faulty head and tail lights, brake lights, indicator lights, ineffective brakes and more. According to the AA, “seven to ten percent of vehicle crashes are related to vehicles that are not roadworthy.” While that number may be small, motorists should remember that many things are lumped together under ‘roadworthiness’. For example, a cracked mirror is less likely to cause an accident when compared to worn out brake pads, which are likely to cause an accident.

Arrive Alive, the South African champion of road safety says: “Vehicle roadworthiness is one of the important requirements for the safety of all our road users.” Arrive Alive also refers to contributing factors to car crashes, namely: “Driver and vehicle fitness and environmental factors.”

The Democratic Alliance’s Transport Policy Report revealed eye-opening statistics, which state that there are over 10,000 fatal accidents each year, costing the country in excess of R60bn each year. In addition to this, over 17,000 South Africans are killed each year on our roads, which includes pedestrians who have lost their lives.

An example of one of the above-mentioned fatal accidents was when a large truck, whose brakes had failed, ploughed into many cars in Alberton, Gauteng recently. Many innocent lives were unfortunately lost on that day.